Information seeking and Retrieval behavior of Ph.D. Candidates based on Expectancy A Case study Ph.D. Candidates of Mohaghegh Ardabili University

Subject Areas : Journal of Knowledge Studies

Leila Mohammadpour ¹ , nadjla hariri ² , Fahimeh Babalhavaeji ³

1 - P.H.D. Student, Information Science and Knowledge, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Professor, Department of Information Science and Knowledge, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 - Department of Communication and Epistemology, Faculty of Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2023-05-07 Accepted : 2023-06-19 Published : 2023-05-22

Keywords: "Expectancy", " Motivation, Information Seeking Behavior", " Information Retrieval", "Information Seeking Pattern",

Abstract :

objective: The major objective of current research is "Identifying patterns of Information Seeking and Retrieval Behavior based on Expectancy Beliefs among PhD Candidates of Mohaghegh Ardabili University.Methodology: The research has been conducted in synthetic method, both quantitative and qualitative. The research method in quantitative part was quasi-experimental, and in terms of qualitative method, content analysis was used. The data, in the quantitative method, has been collected with questionnaire and by observation and semi-structured interview has been chosen for qualitative method. The research population consisted of 48 PhD Candidates who were selected by purposeful sampling the data was collected in two stages of completing demographic characteristics, searching experience and expectancy questionnaires and observing the behavior of completing search tasks and finally textual analysis of the interviewed content Results: Ph.D. candidates have positive expectation on information search and Retrieval process, and their subjective belief in their ability and success in information search and retrieval is above the average level (3.00). Ph.D. Candidate who expects more of the process of searching and retrieving information use less but related strategies and tactics while those with low expectation use More Strategies and Techniques but unrelated and repetitive, so it takes more time to review the retrieved results. Conclusion: High expectation leads to a positive subjective perception and judgment of the person about his ability to perform the search task, and low expectation leads to a negative subjective perception and belief of the student about his ability to complete the search task.